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Cannot go back with older libc6

Yesterday evening it seems that I screwed up my apt-get system... I have apt-get installed libc6, libdb1-compat, and python2.3 (downloaded as .deb. packages and installed manually) in a desperate attempt to install pyXMMS and pyKDE but it ended up as a whole mess.. Now I cannot apt-get install another package - I'm having this error:

Code:

root@tiger:~# apt-get install "somepackage"

Reading Package Lists... Done

Building Dependency Tree... Done

You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these:

Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies:

  libc6: Depends: libdb1-compat but it is not going to be installed

  libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.2.5-11.5) but 2.3.2.ds1-11 is to be installed

  python2.3: Depends: python (>= 2.3) but 2.1.3-3.2 is to be installed

            Depends: libdb4.2 but it is not installable

            Depends: libncurses5 (>= 5.3.20030510-1) but 5.2.20020112a-7 is to be installed

            Depends: libreadline4 (>= 4.3-1) but 4.2a-5 is to be installed

            Depends: libssl0.9.7 but it is not installable

            Depends: zlib1g (>= 1:1.2.1) but 1:1.1.4-1.0woody0 is to be installed

E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

The version of libc6 installed (over the new one):

Code:

root@tiger:~# apt-cache policy libc6

libc6:

  Installed: 2.3.2.ds1-11

  Candidate: 2.3.2.ds1-11

  Version Table:

 *** 2.3.2.ds1-11 0

        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

    2.2.5-11.5 0

        500 http://http.us.debian.org stable/main Packages

        500 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages

I think that the only possible solution would be to remove libc6 and revert back to the original one, so i tried:

Code:

apt-get install libc6=2.2.5-11.5

But it didn't allow me, telling me the previous dependency problems:

Code:

root@tiger:~# apt-get install libc6=2.2.5-11.5

Reading Package Lists... Done

Building Dependency Tree... Done

You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these:

Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies:

  libdb1-compat: Depends: libc6 (>= 2.2.5-13) but 2.2.5-11.5 is to be installed

  python2.3: Depends: python (>= 2.3) but 2.1.3-3.2 is to be installed

            Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.2.ds1-4) but 2.2.5-11.5 is to be installed

            Depends: libdb4.2 but it is not installable

            Depends: libncurses5 (>= 5.3.20030510-1) but 5.2.20020112a-7 is to be installed

            Depends: libreadline4 (>= 4.3-1) but 4.2a-5 is to be installed

            Depends: libssl0.9.7 but it is not installable

            Depends: zlib1g (>= 1:1.2.1) but 1:1.1.4-1.0woody0 is to be installed

  python2.3-xmms: Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.2.ds1-4) but 2.2.5-11.5 is to be installed

E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

Is there a way to go around in problems like this (except of desperately wanting to crash the machine) ?

regards,
ganninu

why did you do that?

First you need a good obstruction!

Never, ever do that again...

You have a fixed dependency now (libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.2.5-11.5)), so you have to work that out first

the 2.2.5-11.5 is an old version for you.

Do what the tool says you should do....

Quote:

Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages

and pray...

it might be good thing to uninstall the libdb1-compat package first with the dpkg tool (probably by force) and then run the 'apt-get -f install' command

and another thing, generally, is not a good ideea to try to downgrade libc6

I uninstalled libc6 and now my entire system got freaked, i.e. I cannot use the command line!!! (things like ls, mv, cp, etc.. do not work anymore)

I learned this ---- NEVER TAMPER WITH THE LIBC6 PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ----

Now I backed up all the data from the Windows partition (had a dual boot box, and for the first time I found windose useful). Now I'm taking the opportunity to switch to FreeBSD (I still needed to install some day since it supports my Sis650 graphic chipset). Nontheless, I will equip my laptop with Debian....

Cheers guys.
ganninu

I'm also rather certain that when you tried to uninstall libc6 that dpkg/apt made you type a sentence that says something to the effect of "I know this can totally screw up my system, but do it anyway." So, you sort of dug your own hole there :)

Why did you have libc6 from unstable on a stable system. Do NOT mix branches unless you know very well what you are doing (I know very well what I am doing and I would still never do it :p). If you want newer stuff, then by all means, use unstable, but DON'T just start pulling random packages from the unstable branch and installing them on your stable distribution.

By the way, I downloaded the unstable ISO, but the CD didn't boot (I mean, i KNOW how to burn bootable CDs) - is that the "unstable" debian cannot be installed on a cold boot?

As far as I know, there are no official unstable branch installation CDs. The only official installation CDs are for stable. You can upgrade to unstable from stable relatively easily, though.

Quote:

Originally posted by Strike
I'm also rather certain that when you tried to uninstall libc6 that dpkg/apt made you type a sentence that says something to the effect of "I know this can totally screw up my system, but do it anyway." So, you sort of dug your own hole there :)

Why did you have libc6 from unstable on a stable system. Do NOT mix branches unless you know very well what you are doing (I know very well what I am doing and I would still never do it :p). If you want newer stuff, then by all means, use unstable, but DON'T just start pulling random packages from the unstable branch and installing them on your stable distribution.

better, yet, backport!
take the sources and make a package for the woody branch.

I know that sometimes it can be a drag, but most of the packages are on backports.org or apt-get.org